-Elevated road done, the road below makes traders’ life difficult
G.S. Paul

-Ward No 16
Area of dirty drains, incomplete roads and stray dogs
P.K. Jaiswar


-- Rules amended to ease traffic chaos
GS Paul
:: Newsline:: AVM honours city youth ambassador Dhillon Amritsar, October 27,2009
The Amritsar Vikas Manch (AVM) has honoured city youth ambassador Anantdeep Singh Dhillon in the local Ashoka Senior Secondary School. AVM general secretary Amrit Lal Mannan stated that Dhillon had been elected Regional Coordinator, North America, for the United Nations Commission for Sustainable Development Major Group on Youth and Children. Amritsar-born Dhillon is presently living at Victoria(Canada). Dhillon was honoured on the occasion as the city youth icon in appreciation to the services rendered to the AVM and for representing the city of Amritsar in an international forum in the field of global peace, inter-faith harmony and sustainable development. Meanwhile, discussions were held on global warming and sustainable development to mark International Day of Climate Action. The deliberations also focused on the holistic development of Amritsar on international lines. The members were critical about the lackadaisical attitude of the government and non-committal attitude for development of Amritsar International Airport. — TNS

Protecting Golden Temple from pollution
PPCB for ban on burning of diesel, coal Varinder Walia--Tribune News Service
Amritsar, January 28,2009 : The government is contemplating a ban on use of fuel other than LPG by goldsmiths, hotels and dhabas in the walled city here to reduce pollution affecting the Golden Temple, following a report of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB). Detailed News >>>>>

Soon: Admn to kick off several devp projects
(Neeraj Bagga Tribune News Service)- Amritsar, January 16, 2009: The district authorities are working to acquire land for setting up Rs 1,250-crore world-class university, Rs 130-crore integrated check post at Attari-Wagha border and expansion of Amritsar International Airport.
Land measuring 750, 120 and 44 acres of land for university, check post and airport, respectively, are being acquired to ensure the commencement of construction works of these projects in the current year. More>>>>>>

With little resources, ADA may prove a non-starter
December 24, 2008 (Amritsar Plus-The Tribune)

Finally, historic Sultanwind gets govt’s attention
December 10, 2008 (Amritsar Plus-The Tribune)

Polluted landfill threat to thousands of people
December 13, 2008 (Amritsar Plus-The Tribune)

In city, overbridges have failed to serve purpose
Amritsar, September 30 2008 -Tribune News Service: City residents seems to care little for their precious lives when they prefer to jump over the dividers instead of using the foot overbridges provided by the administration on busy roads.

Bridge holes are invitation to tragedy
Amritsar, August 29 2008: Tribune News Service- The district administration claim of giving good roads to the commuters seems to have gone for a toss as the holes have appeared on the Sultanwind and Taranwala bridges which were mended recently. The holes are too big that a two-wheeler or a pedestrian can easily fall prey to the district administration’s carelessness. Besides, there are no street lights or boards to alert the commuters. What one could find as a caution here are just small brick walls which are coming off.

AVM opposes shifting of central varsity
Amritsar, August 1 2008: Sanjay Bumbroo Tribune News Service
The Amritsar Vikas Manch (AVM) has urged the state government not to shift the world-class central university from Amritsar to Bathinda as announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The Amritsar Vikas Manch (AVM) has urged the state government not to shift the world-class central university from Amritsar to Bathinda as announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

# MC survey on traffic situation- 3 parking lots to ease congestion
The multi-storeyed parking lots would be located near the telephone exchange, in Kairon Market and near Fish Market. Less than a kilometre from the corporation office, the site near the telephone exchange is located in the busy market that leads to the cloth market. A chunk of 1,500 sq m has been identified for the parking, which has road frontages on all sides, says a report submitted by the superintending engineer, municipal corporation.Given the high market prices in the area, the corporation expects that it would be an attractive spot for any private developer. Since the siteis already full of vehicles throughout the day,a parking lot developed there is sure to besuccessful.The report claims that the second site is even more attractive in terms of its commercial potential. The parking lot would be spread over 2,000 sq m and it too has road frontages on all four sides. The area is also being presently used for parking and remains occupied throughoutthe day.Municipal commissioner D.P.S. Kharbanda said the third parking would come up near Fish Market, which is another congested area of the city.

Present scenarioThe maximum accumulation of vehicles at off-street locations include Hussainpura parking lot, railway station, bus terminal, market complex between Mahan Singh Chowk and Rambagh Chowk, Hall Bazar, Town Hall complex, Dharam Singh Market area, Lawrence Road and opposite bus stand exit.The demand for car parking is high in Hall Bazar and the stretch from Town Hall to the Golden Temple. Accumulation of two-wheelers is high at the railway station, bus stand and Town Hall complex.High on-street parking is a major problem on Court Road, near Queens Road chowk, Jallianwala Bagh, Golden Temple gate, Ghee Mandi road and GT Road (Near Bhandari Bridge).

Vehicles on road: All types of vehicles in the city, except rickshaws, have shown considerable increase during the period from 1995-96 to 2000-01. There has been considerable growth in the number of two-wheelers and three-wheelers in the city since 1995. Increasing vehicular traffic is a concern for transportation-related issues.The road network of Amritsar city is radial-***-circumferential covering an area of 139 sq km. The total road length is about 525 km. The GT Road passes through the centre of the city.

Rs 100 crore in kitty, Sidhu, mayor promise more development
Amritsar, December 14 : Amount a part of Rs 250-crore master plan for holy city
The state government handed over a cheque for Rs 100 crore for city’s development to MP Navjot Sidhu and mayor Shawet Malik at Chandigarh today. Speaking to The Tribune over the phone on their way back from Chandigarh, Sidhu and Malik said the financial aid would change the face of the city.

SC decision on teachers hailed
Amritsar, December 7 2007: The Punjab Heritage and Education Foundation and Amritsar Vikas Manch (AVM) welcomed the decision of the supreme court that teachers cannot be allotted non-teaching work.

AVM seeks HC bench in city
Amritsar, July 10 2007
The Amritsar Vikas Manch (AVM) has demanded establishment of a full bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and a full bench of the Punjab Information Commissioner in Amritsar. This would facilitate disposing off of pending cases in three districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran. The Manch has also urged to run courts in double shifts on the pattern of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.

Tourist promotion board for holy city

Ram Bagh upkeep: INTACH offers helping hand to govt

Govt urged to make city smoke-free
Amritsar, June 15 2007: The Amritsar Vikas Manch (AVM), an NGO, has urged the Punjab Government to make Amritsar India’s first smoke-free city.


# Forest dept launches ‘green city’ campaign

News website launched Raj Mohinder Singh Majitha, Rajya Sabha MP, inaugurated news portal www.bharatsandesh.com designed by Anantdeep Dhillon and Hardeep Singh from Amritsar.
Amritsar Vikas Manch has strongly demanded the immediate demolition of the multistory commercial complex of 160 shops in front of the holiest of the holy shrine of the Sikhs, Sri Harmandir Sahib in blatant violation of the Galiara scheme. It also demanded a high level enquiry under which circumstances the huge complex came up illegally just 50-meters from Sri Harmandir Sahib. In different letters to S.Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister Punjab and Sukhbir Singh Badal, the Manch president S.Harbhajan Singh Gill and general secretary Amrit lal Mannan said that it is a calculated move and a big blunder committed by the congress government to raise multistory commercial complex in front of Sri Harmandir Sahib to deface and diminish the dignity of the holiest of holy shrine of the Sikhs. It is similar in nature with the blunder committed by Mayawati government in the case of commercialization of the area around the Taj Mahal. A similar type of case should be registered against the culprits.
Sri Harmandir Sahib has great Heritage value not for the Sikhs only but for the whole world. This is proved by a BBC survey, which placed Sri Harmandir Sahib at the sixth position among the 50 most sought after destinations of the world.

The enlistment of it as a World Heritage Site may be deferred for the time being, but it will revive again in the near future. Sri Harmandir Sahib attracts 75-80 lakh foreign as well as domestic tourists annually.

If it had come in the world Heritage Sites, no new construction could have been raised in the radius of 1000 meters. This huge commercial complex has badly affected the majestic look of Sri Harmandir Sahib Complex and it is a great insult to the holiest of holy shrine of the Siklhs

The purpose of the Galiara Scheme was to decongest and beautify the area around the Golden Temple. The very purpose of the scheme stands defeated with the construction of this huge commercial complex. In three phases, many buildings were demolished and beautiful gardens came up. But surprisingly, at the main entry to the shrine, the most important part of this scheme, a huge super structure has been raised. This is a clear cut case of misappropriation of Public Money. The central government funds meant for the purpose of beautifying the area was misused for the construction of commercial complex.

The authorities constructed 160 shops without reason and without any legal authority. There was no compulsion by any law to construct these shops for the uprooted shopkeepers in front of the Golden Temple. Even the number of the shops to be demolished is not more than 40-45. They can be adjusted any where else as was the case with the uprooted shopkeepers in the first three phases. They were given shops outside the walled city.

The previous government commercialized the area in front of the Golden Temple instead of making it calm, serene, peaceful and beautiful.

The construction of this building will make this area more polluted by air and noise pollution as it will invite more vehicles, as the commercial activity in this building alone will bring more than 300-400 cars/scooters daily.

The Punjab Pollution Control Board has in its recent survey has found the area in front of the Golden Temple most polluted and expressed concern over the increasing level of pollution due to vehicles etc. The new building will also create problems in the sewerage system of the area as well.he SGPC has also raised objections to the construction of this building by writing to the then Chief Minister. The building has made this area more congested instead of decongesting, which will affect the free flow of thousands of visitors who come here daily. It will rather create inconvenience and harassment to the visitors

Crossing storey limits Sanjay Bumbroo & Ashok Sethi Amritsar, March 27' 2007: City planners and NGOs are concerned over the violation of building bylaws by a large number of high-rise buildings coming up in the city. Some of the builders have raised the height of the buildings even up to seven stories. A senior government official pointed out that under the Commercial Shopping Complex scheme in Ranjit Avenue, the owner of a plot (366 sq yards) is allowed to raise the buildings up to 50 ft. But most of the builders have “illegally” raised the buildings up to seven stories. The Tribune has in possession one such letter in which the the local bodies department has written a letter to the government to raise the height of the building from 50 ft to 65 ft but without inviting any objections from the residents of the area. Social activist and chairman of the citizen forum Brij Bedi has pointed out that the government should not violate the bylaws and not to succumb under the pressure of the builders to allow them to raise the height of the building without providing adequate safety norms and parking facility. “Under the rules, no one can be allowed to violate the bylaws as it may attract sealing at a later stage as is being witnessed in New Delhi these days,” he said. Officers of the department have urged the government to take action and penalise the violators for throwing all norms to wind and creating chaotic conditions outside the building. The forum has also taken up the issue of adopting fire safety norms in the new constructions. Most of the buildings lack safety equipment to meet any eventuality. According to sources in the department, the firefighting department officers never visit the premises to verify the emergency norms before issuing no objection certificates (NOCs). It has been alleged that in most of the cases the NOCs are issued at the behest of political leaders without going into the merits of the case. A survey undertaken by The Tribune team revealed that the provision of underground parking had been used for commercial activity, while the vehicles were parked outside the buildings. Parking woes have added another dimension as vehicles block residential lanes. The traffic police has failed to ensure a smooth flow of traffic. The situation is indeed pathetic in various areas, including the road leading from Hall Bazaar to the Golden Temple. According to official norms, a building with less than 500 sq yards plot is required to go up to the height of 37.5 ft with the provision of water tank and other provisions. While plots above 500 sq yards, the provision for height is 70 ft. But some of the builders are adding mezzanine floor, violating the building bylaws. Interestingly, on the Albert road that is a residential area more than a dozen commercial buildings have come up in violation of the bylaws. Last week a hotel structure being constructed on a residential plot was pulled down by the corporation for not even adhering to the basic norms of land-use change. When contacted, officials of the local bodies department pointed out that they were evaluating the large-scale violations and would soon take action against the defaulters.


City planners and NGOs are concerned over the violation of building bylaws by a large number of high-rise buildings coming up in the city. Some of the builders have raised the height of the buildings even up to seven stories. A senior government official pointed out that under the Commercial Shopping Complex scheme in Ranjit Avenue, the owner of a plot (366 sq yards) is allowed to raise the buildings up to 50 ft. But most of the builders have “illegally” raised the buildings up to seven stories. The Tribune has in possession one such letter in which the the local bodies department has written a letter to the government to raise the height of the building from 50 ft to 65 ft but without inviting any objections from the residents of the area. Social activist and chairman of the citizen forum Brij Bedi has pointed out that the government should not violate the bylaws and not to succumb under the pressure of the builders to allow them to raise the height of the building without providing adequate safety norms and parking facility. “Under the rules, no one can be allowed to violate the bylaws as it may attract sealing at a later stage as is being witnessed in New Delhi these days,” he said. Officers of the department have urged the government to take action and penalise the violators for throwing all norms to wind and creating chaotic conditions outside the building. The forum has also taken up the issue of adopting fire safety norms in the new constructions. Most of the buildings lack safety equipment to meet any eventuality. According to sources in the department, the firefighting department officers never visit the premises to verify the emergency norms before issuing no objection certificates (NOCs). It has been alleged that in most of the cases the NOCs are issued at the behest of political leaders without going into the merits of the case. A survey undertaken by The Tribune team revealed that the provision of underground parking had been used for commercial activity, while the vehicles were parked outside the buildings. Parking woes have added another dimension as vehicles block residential lanes. The traffic police has failed to ensure a smooth flow of traffic. The situation is indeed pathetic in various areas, including the road leading from Hall Bazaar to the Golden Temple. According to official norms, a building with less than 500 sq yards plot is required to go up to the height of 37.5 ft with the provision of water tank and other provisions. While plots above 500 sq yards, the provision for height is 70 ft. But some of the builders are adding mezzanine floor, violating the building bylaws. Interestingly, on the Albert road that is a residential area more than a dozen commercial buildings have come up in violation of the bylaws. Last week a hotel structure being constructed on a residential plot was pulled down by the corporation for not even adhering to the basic norms of land-use change. When contacted, officials of the local bodies department pointed out that they were evaluating the large-scale violations and would soon take action against the defaulters.


For Amritsar city, the problem never seems to end. Considered to be the ‘Mecca of Sikhs’ and one of the cities having highest number of tourists, the word perfection appears to be a distant dream. From many years the hue and cries made by the different section of the society have bore no results for the city as the same is still stuck up with the illegal constructions, encroachments, potholes to name a few.

Encroachments Making the best use of the last few months in which the administration was busy preparing and conducting elections, a large number of illegal stalls and make shift khokas have mushroomed all across the city. Not only these illegal stalls and shops have encroached upon the green belt areas but also made their presence felt on the prestigious roads like the Mall. The construction of these concrete structures and make shift stalls in the residential localities is causing a lot of inconvenience to the residents. A senior citizen, Kusum Wadhwa, who migrated to Delhi, was aghast at the demolition of old houses on the Mall road which now has replaced by high rise buildings. “Not only it has destroyed the old heritage of city but also encroached the footpaths that have now been turned into parking lots,” she added. “The area around the golden temple had been in a pitiable conditions with all the pavements being used for pull carts, rickshaws and three wheelers. Besides the encroachments by the shopkeepers had led to many unruly scenes,” said the spokesman of Amritsar First Foundation, Ranjit Sandhu. Sandhu felt that the city should be governed by a team of professionals with only little political interference and backed fully by the committed citizens of the city.

ILLegal Parking lots The pavements that were lifeline of the walkers appear to have vanished under scores of illegal parking lots. these lost that have come in all the areas including Mall, court road, Albert road, Lawrence road have done nothing but create chaos. The main reason for these illegal parking lots is that the basements of the commercial buildings, which were originally planned for the parking, have been converted into banquet halls by the owners. The shoppers visiting them, left with no option, are forced to park their vehicles on the road adding to the discomfiture of the commuters.

Hoardings The beauty of the holy city is further marred by the hoardings that have come up. The various NGOs including the Amritsar first foundation Citizen Forum, the Heritage and Tourism Foundation, Amritsar Vikas Manch along with leading conservationists and leading architectural luminaries and Guru Nanak Dev University professors from the department of urban planning have separately raised their serious concern about the same. The graffiti, obscene posters and the ugly structures have also ruined the city.

Elevated road project and roads Another sore point is about the delay in the completion of the elevated road project. The busy road is in pitiable conditions as it is full of potholes. Mayor Datti said they would soon repair the side roads and service lanes as soon as they get the permission from the forest department to remove the trees on both sides of the road.


The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has embarked upon an expansion programme for Rajasansi Airport to put it in league with the top international airports in the country. Work has already begun on the phase II of the master plan to give the airport a new look, with more passenger facilities and increased security features. Besides giving better amenities to passengers, the cargo handling facility being developed at the airport would prove beneficial for exporters from the region who presently have no alternative but to transport their goods to Delhi. The AAI recently agreed to hand over 10,000 square metres of land to the Council of Value Added Horticulture for setting up of a permanent perishable cargo centre, on a token money of Re 1 per annum for a period of seven years. This would catalyse export of perishable goods. Arun Talwar, Airport Director, said there has been an increase of 40 per cent in the number of international and domestic passengers at the Amritsar airport last year. The number of international passengers swelled to 4,09,166 and a total of 77,974 domestic passengers flew on different circuits of as many as nine airlines offering their services from Amritsar during 2006. “The airport is developing at a fast pace and air passengers from the region can look forward to better facilities once the expansion plan is implemented over a period of 7-8 months. There are already 10 departures per day, which include eight international and two domestic flights,” he said.

Cargo hub The proposed site for the Permanent Perishable Cargo Centre is located close to the air cargo complex, which has a capacity of 200 tonnes per day. “The Punjab government has given a go-ahead for setting up of a modern perishable cargo complex for the export of vegetables, fruits and other perishables. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 25 crore,” said Talwar. The temporary perishable cargo complex has separate export and import sections and public transportation area. Constructed at a cost of Rs 2 crore, it is spread over an area of 6,500 square meters and has done a good job in cold chain infrastructure in the region. The cargo facility development at the Rajasansi Airport is expected to prove a blessing for exporters from the adjoining states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, who have to presently operate from Delhi and have to go through the ordeal of transporting their produce to distant airports. The Rajasansi Airport is handling 2,400 tonnes of cargo per year. The AAI has got the custodianship for running the new cargo complex. Tenders have been floated for giving management contracts for handling the cargo operations. Equipped to maintain temperatures from 2 to 10 degree Celsius in its six chambers, the perishable centre is catering to a variety of fruits and vegetables and has the capacity to handle 80 tonnes of fresh produce everyday, said Talwar. The Council of Value Added Horticulture, the body for handling cargo affairs, is presently running the perishable cargo centre. Exporters for Punjab primarily deal in readymade garments, pharmaceuticals, rice, textiles, yarn, hand tools and leather goods, sewing machines, food products and With Rajasansi Airport slated to become a key cargo hub in northern India, more and more exporters would save the cost of transporting their goods to Delhi, said Talwar.

More area The total area of the terminal building would be increased to 31,000 square metres, which would be more than double the existing area. This would provide adequate space for multiple arrivals and security holds. Besides, the airlines operating from the airport would also get more space to run their business. The existing terminal was made operational in February 2006.

Aerobridges As part of the expansion plan, four aerobridges would be set up for the convenience of passengers. This would save them from the ordeal of traveling in coaches to board their planes, which would to more security as mingling of passengers of different flights would be stopped and there would be separate aerobridges for every ready flight.

More flights The Rajasansi Airport is already offering international flights to Europe, the Middle-East and America, including destinations like Birmingham, London, Bratislava, Kabul, Dubai, Sharjah, Ashgabat, Tashkant and Moscow. On the domestic circuit, the Amritsar Airport is linked to Delhi. Airlines have expressed interest to begin more flights on international and domestic destinations and some of the agreements are expected to materialize soon. The passenger traffic at Amritsar has seen tremendous growth in recent years, from 12,000 passengers in 2000-01 to 1,12,000 in 2001-02.

More parking bases Presently the Rajasansi Airport has a total of five parking bases, which can accommodate as many airplanes. In view of the possibility of more airlines taking off from Amritsar, four more parking bases would be added by the year-end as part of the expansion plan. “The idea is to provide a more sophisticated and user-friendly parking system that would increase security while continuing to provide better customer service,” said Talwar.
Length of runway With the airport authorities nourishing the dream to land a Jumbo Aircraft, like the Boeing 747, at the Rajasansi Airport someday, the length of the runway is being extended by 369 meters to a total length of 3,658 meters. With it, other accessories like the runway lights would also have to be shifted and modified as per the new parameters.
Car parking A spacious car parking for passengers and visitors also figures in the expansion plan. Till last year, both the terminal and the parking were congested. Even though the new layout has eased the congestion, there are plans to further expand the parking lots so that there is no shortage of space even after the number of passengers increases manifold, said Talwar.

Religious Tourism With Amritsar having tremendous potential in religious tourism, trade and commerce, the expansion of the airport would benefit the region as cargo in the shape of agricultural products and other items would find access to neighbouring areas. The international flights operating from different parts of the world to Amritsar have come handy for Punjabis settled in different countries to visit their hometowns. According to a study, more than 26% of the 45 lakh international passengers from Indiara Gandhi International Airport are from Punjab.

'City of Amritsar-Film Documentary'

Amritsar Vikas Manch released “The City of Amritsar”, an English documentary film by Mr Joginder Kalsi. The DVD version of the film was released in a special function by Dr. Inderjit Kaur president - All India Pingalwara Society.

On this ocassion the producer, Mr Joginder Kalsi, informed that this 46 minute DVD is both in english and punjabi languages. The documentary covers the hisorical, religious, cultural related information captured in the camera. The film tours the ups and downs from start and upcoming of Amritsar City till the present day. Various religious spots covering gurudwara, temples, cementaries, churchs have been described along with famous colleges and universities have been showcased in the film. Jalianawala bagh, Shiromani Commette and Namdhari shaheed related to the independence movement are also part of the film.The film tries to educate and provides a knowldgebase about amritsar to those who want to know more about the city and its related fact. Dr. Inderjit ji congratulated Mr. Kalsi on the production of this project. Other dignitaries also praised the efforts of Mr Joginder Kalsi and wished the success of the film all over the world. Complete News Report..........

AVM against hoardings at city crossings

Hoardings dot city crossings

Manish K. Singhal The Amritsar Vikas Manch has raised its voice against hoardings of political leaders erected at various crossings in Amritsar. Hoarding related to different political parties and politicians were installed a long time back and continue there. According to Mr Amrit Lal Mannan, general secretary of the manch, “These hoardings malign the face of the city and should be pulled down immediately.” Despite the ban on erection of such hoardings by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the corporation and district administration have failed to pull them down, alleged the manch. The hoardings on traffic signals distracted the drivers, which could lead to accidents. At some points, the hoardings have been installed in such a manner that the commuters find it difficult to see the traffic signal. The Municipal Corporation allows hoardings to be installed at particular points. In most cases, political parties have not taken permission from the corporation. Dr Charanjit Singh Gumtala, former president of the manch, said “The law should be same for every one. There is a case pending in the court of law where a company had installed a hoarding illegally without taking permission from the corporation. But some political personalities have erected those hoardings without taking permission from the corporation.”


The state government must take back the Panorama from the Municipal Corporation and hand it over to an efficient body. The corporation has had a bad experience of handling the historical places like Moti Lal Nehru Library and the small zoo in the Ram Bagh, the summer palace of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Mr Gurinder Singh Johal, a resident of the city and a guide, while talking to the Amritsar Plus said according to a letter of the Council of Science Museum to the Museum and Cultural Affairs and Archaeological Department, Punjab, after completion the Panorama would have to be handed over to the Museum Department of Punjab (MDP). But, it was ultimately handed over to the corporation, which seemed inefficient to handle it properly, he added. Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, the then Prime Minister, had laid the foundation stone of the project on November 18, 2001, to mark the bicentenary of the coronation of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Three acres was earmarked by the Improvement Trust at “New Amritsar” for the project, but, later, the site had been shifted to the “protected area”. This raised many an eyebrow. The Punjab Government had denotified a part of the historic Ram Bagh to pave the way for the construction of Rs 5-crore Panorama in the memory of the great Maharaja. Earlier, under the Punjab Ancient and Historical Monument and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1964, Section 4, subsection 3, the entire Ram Bagh was declared a protected area (728 kanals, three marlas) in 1997. In the notification, the 20-kanal “protected” area was rendered “unprotected”. Mr Johal said there were certain guidelines from the Council of Science Museum to handle the Panorama, which were being flouted by the corporation. As per the guidelines, the in charge of the project should possess postgraduate degree in the subject concerned, but the in charge of the Panorama was not well-versed with the subject. The keepers inside the Panorama should be trained well by the council, instead, they were being trained by the in charge only. Air-conditioners installed in the Panorama remained off in summer as most of them were non-functional. Even the motor of the fire system was out of order, Mr Johal added. There is a parking lot earmarked by the council, but people could be seen parking their vehicles on the roadside. He said there was a set ruling for the opening and closure timings of the Panorama, but it remained open till 6 or 7 pm. Trees being planted alongside a hedge developed by the council threatened the landscape. The council had kept the rest of area for greenery, but the in charge grew vegetables for his own use in the garden, he added.

# AVM fights to evict the Clubs as Illegal clubs continue to flourish in Rambagh Complete News Report
# A Letter To The Prime Minister of India Read the full text of Letter here
# Amritsar still not major tourist destination
# Improve facilities at Amritsar airport
# Develop Amritsar Following the Heritage Care Plan of Lahore by: Prof. Mohan Singh (Patron- AVM)

# Unholy air around sacred pond
# Amritsar Vikas Manch has demanded to gear up Amritsar Airport
# Encroachments in walkers’ way
# Learning about faiths Church official visits Golden Temple
# Our City Abode of Medical services by Dr Baljeet Singh Dhillon Detailed Report
The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Amritsar PLUS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please Leave a Comment Online

Your Feedback....
Name (required):
City, Country:
E-mail (required):
URL:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
More News & Events coming soon........ Stay connected send in your feedback at : infoasr@gmail.com
News & Info Courtesy: The Tribune India & Sada Punjab, Watan Weekly.